1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hinge, especially to a hinge with orthogonal pivot axes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As cellular phones are more widely used, competition in the cellular phone industry, emergence of wireless Internet technology and the growth of digital photographic techniques have caused quantum jumps in the development of cellular phone capabilities. In the late 1970's and early to mid 1980's, relatively large cellular phones were used only to make or receive phone calls. Significant miniaturization of electronic devices in the late 1980's and early 1990's led to cellular phones getting significantly smaller. The turn of the century saw the proliferation of wireless Internet access through home computer installations and cellular phones. Today, digital cameras are imbedded in cellular phones that can transmit the digital pictures to other cellular phones or e-mail addresses. With the growth of the capabilities of the cellular phone, the cellular phone display has evolved from monochrome LED and liquid crystal displays to brilliant full-color displays today. Cellular phones with digital cameras and full-color displays are so common today that a person could reasonably anticipate that such cellular phones will be industry standards in the not too distant future.
Cellular phones generally are foldable or not foldable. A foldable cellular phone has a cover, a base and a hinge. The hinge is mounted between the cover and the base. A conventional hinge only allows the cover to pivot open or closed. The cover has an inside surface, an outside surface, a display and on optional camera lens. The display is on the inside surface, and when the cellular phone is equipped with a digital camera, the camera lens is mounted on the outside surface. The base has a front surface and a keyboard. The front surface faces the inside surface of the cover, and the keyboard is mounted on the front surface of the base. A person accesses the keyboard on the front surface of the base to take pictures through the lens. However, the user has to point the lens at himself when he wants to take his own picture. In this situation, accessing the keyboard is difficult, at best.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a hinge with orthogonal pivot axes to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.